Our Security Is In God Series

We’ve come to what many considered the most beautiful and encouraging part of the book of Romans.

As Christians who know God, do we feel safe and secure in life?

• Now that we are children of God, with the indwelling Holy Spirit in us and the glorious hope before us, do we feel secure? Are we assured of our security in Christ?

• The answer to these questions, that we are going to get from today’s passage, is YES, a definite YES despite the present sufferings and hardships.

We heard from last week’s message, Lester shared of our journey of sanctification in Christ which involves sufferings and much groanings. It is part of growing up.

• The creation is groaning, and we are groaning, longing for our adoption as sons of God and redemption of our bodies.

• We are waiting patiently for that day to come. It is our HOPE, Paul says.

• 8:18 “…the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (8:18)

• This outcome is not ‘hanging in the balance’, it is certain. God has already determined it. Our hope is sure. We wait patiently for that day to come.

Meanwhile, how do we endure the sufferings of this present time?

• This path of sanctification will involved sufferings, as Paul has said. Are we able to take the trials and persecutions well?

• Paul concludes with these convictions that we must hold on to. Let’s read.

Romans 8:28-30 ESV Our Security Is In God

28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

I summarised what Paul says in today’s passage in 3 P’s.

• As we wait patiently for that glorious hope, we trust in the providence of God, the purpose of God and the protection of God over our lives.

• Let us all be assured today, that we are in very safe hands, despite the sufferings.

WE TRUST IN HIS PROVIDENCE

God is sovereign. He is sovereignly in control. He is sovereignly active.

• God is not passive. He is orchestrating all things to work together for good.

• For good not only in general, which can be true, but here specifically Paul says for those who love God, for those who are called according to His purpose.

The Lord is watching over His own. Paul adds, for those whom God foreknew, predestined, called, justified and will one day be glorified.

• That’s us, the sons of God. If we are children of God, then this is true – God orchestrates all things to work together for our good.

• Not in some things but in all things because He is sovereignly in control over everything that happens in our lives.

God is not necessarily the cause of everything, surely not the evil deeds, or senseless tragedies caused by sinful men, or the disasters of a fallen world, but He allows them.

• He uses them to achieve His ultimate good, particularly so for His own.

Someone says, “When God puts His people into the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat.”

• He knows how long and how much. He is in absolute control at all times and we can trust Him.

• Charles Spurgeon: “The Refiner is never far from the mouth of the furnace when His gold is in the fire.” And remember He is not an arsonist but a Refiner.

The important thing is for us to learn the lesson God wants us to learn, to be aware of what He is teaching us in the trials.

• That’s how James puts it – James 1:2-4 (ESV) 2‘Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

[KJV patience, NIV perseverance, NASB endurance.] None of these can be produced without trials.

• We grow in maturity through trials and sufferings. We learn more from adversities than from comforts.

Can we just skip all these sufferings? Can we not go through the furnace of life?

• Then we won’t see pure gold. We won’t be, in the words of James, “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:4)

• We will miss the purifying work of God, that is our sanctification, which is His purpose.